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Israel Information Service Gopher
Information Division Israel Foreign Ministry - Jerusalem
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Peres/Holst Letter regarding Jerusalem
I. The following is a letter sent by Foreign Minister Peres to Norway
Foreign Minister Holst on 11 October 1993.
Jerusalem, October 11, 1993
Dear Minister Holst,
I wish to confirm that the Palestinian institutions of East
Jerusalem and the interest and well-being of the Palestinians of East
Jerusalem are of great importance and will be preserved.
Therefore, all the Palestinian institutions of East Jerusalem,
including the economic, social, educational and cultural, and the holy
Christian and Moslem places, are performing an essential task for the
Palestinian population.
Needless to say, we will not hamper their activity; on the
contrary, the fulfillment of this important mission is to be encouraged.
Sincerely,
Shimon Peres
Foreign Minister of Israel
His Excellency
Johan Jorgen Holst
Foreign Minister of Norway
II. The following is the text of a statement regarding Jerusalem made by
Foreign Minister Peres to the Knesset on 9 September 1993 which was also
sent to Foreign Minister Holst (11 October 1993):
Israel recognizes the religious significance of Jerusalem to all the
prophetic religions. It respects its unique value in the spiritual as
well as in the daily lives of Jews, Moslems and Christians. We have
been and we shall remain strongly committed to the absolute freedom
of worship and the continuing functioning of the religious and
spiritual institutions in Jerusalem.
We shall continue to respect the various aspects of religious life in
the city and will seek to broaden our dialogue with the various
religious institutions.
We will continue to refrain from any action which may infringe upon
the freedom of worship and access to the holy sites, or which may
hurt the feelings and sensitivities of the various religious groups
and denominations. This applies to all those who reside in the city
and those who make their pilgrimage to its shrines.
Jerusalem is a city of human, religious and cultural mosaics. Jews,
Moslems and Christians live in the city, with each community
preserving its cultural heritage, social patterns and institutions,
as well as its educational systems. The harmonious coexistence in
Jerusalem depends on the continued functioning of these systems,
institutions and holy sites.